Waterproof Crush Resistant Compartment

ABSTRACT

A protective container for use as a luggage insert to protect fragile or delicate cargo is provided. The protective container is essentially watertight and crush resistant. The protective container comprises a base portion, a gasket, and a lid portion. As the lid portion engages the base portion, the gasket is compressed thereby creating a watertight seal.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims priority from Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/728,387 filed Nov. 20, 2012.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to a compression resistant protectivecontainer for use as a luggage insert to protect fragile items, and moreparticularly to a protective container that is waterproof for use insoft-sided luggage such as a duffle bag that will protect fragile cargowithout damaging the interior of the duffle bag.

BACKGROUND

Individuals who travel often pack fragile or delicate items in theirluggage. Typically, these items are placed at the top of the luggage. Ifthe suitcase is flipped over or roughly handled in transit, these itemsoften break, spill, or are otherwise damaged. Occasionally peopleattempt to protect such items by wrapping them in clothes or towels.Unfortunately, typical luggage handling can still damage the itemsdespite this attempt to cushion them. If the fragile item contains aliquid and the container is broken, the entire contents can spill intothe luggage saturating the entire contents of the suitcase.Additionally, in the event that the luggage ends up in the water, suchas during an emergency aircraft water landing, the luggage contents canquickly sink in the water and be lost.

Consequently, there exists a need for a device designed to provide asafe and effective way to store personal items in a suitcase or sea bagwithout crushing or damaging them. The present invention provides aprotective device with an airtight seal to prevent water or otherliquids from entering or exiting the device. The protective device isdesigned to prevent damage to fragile or otherwise easily deformableitems from crushing and/or compression forces when packed in luggage. Auser can safely carry fragile items with the rest of their possessionsin the same baggage. The protective device may also be used as apersonal flotation device in the event of a water emergency duringtravel. Members of the military, students, and others often use dufflebags as luggage. These duffle bags do not protect fragile items such ashats, containers of liquids, or keepsakes from losing their shape,breakage, or other damage. The protective container not only protectsthese items, but will not damage the interior of a suitcase orsoft-sided luggage container such as a military duffle bag or a backpack.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof,comprises a compression resistant water tight protective container thatfloats in water and protects fragile items from damage when packed inluggage. The protective container comprises a base portion, a gasket,and a lid portion. The base portion comprises a perimeter sidewall and abottom component that define an interior cavity. The lid portion engagesthe base portion to completely enclose the interior cavity when inplace. Additionally, both the base portion and the lid portion haverounded corners so that the protective container will not damage anyluggage that it is placed within.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention of theprotective container is ideal for use with a soft-sided luggage such asa duffle bag. The perimeter sidewall comprises an indentation along aportion of the perimeter sidewall large enough so that a user may inserta finger tip to pry the lid portion apart from the base portion. Theindentation does not completely penetrate the perimeter sidewall, so theprotective container remains water tight when in a closed position. Thebase portion may further comprise a circumferential lip extending fromthe perimeter sidewall. The gasket encircles the circumferential lip sothat the gasket is compressed when the lid portion engages the baseportion thereby creating the water tight seal.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects are described herein in connection with thefollowing description and the annexed drawings. These aspects areindicative of the various ways in which the principles disclosed hereincan be practiced and all aspects and equivalents thereof are intended tobe within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other advantages andnovel features will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a compression resistant watertight protective container in a closed position in accordance with thedisclosed architecture.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the protective container in anopened position in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the protective container where a lidportion engages a base portion in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate a perspective view of the protectivecontainer in use with a variety of luggage in accordance with thedisclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsare used to refer to like elements throughout. In the followingdescription, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It maybe evident, however, that the novel embodiments can be practiced withoutthese specific details. In other instances, well known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate adescription thereof The intention is to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of theclaimed subject matter.

The invention relates generally to a protective container for use as aluggage insert for protecting fragile items, wherein the protectivecontainer is compression resistant, water tight, and floats. Theprotective container may be used as an insert for luggage such as aduffle bag, a backpack, a suit case, and the like. The protectivecontainer is designed to protect fragile items or items that may losetheir shape when packed tightly or packed in soft-sided luggage. Theshape of the protective container is generally without sharp edges, andwill not damage the interior of the luggage. The protective container iswater-tight and may be used as an emergency flotation device in theevent that a traveler encounters a water emergency. Furthermore, thebuoyancy of the protective device may keep the luggage in which it isplaced from sinking should the luggage end up in the water.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a compressionresistant protective container 100 in a closed position. The protectivecontainer 100 is typically manufactured from whipped plastic. Whippedplastic is aerated while still in a liquid state prior to cooling into arigid or solid form. This is desirable as it allows the protectivecontainer 100 to be buoyant. However, the protective container 100 maybe manufactured from other materials that float in water, such as butnot limited to polyethylene, polypropylene, plastic with a honeycombstructure, resin, and the like, or any other material known to one ofskill in the art. Additionally, an exterior surface 106 of theprotective container 100 may be coated with a rubberized or texturedplastic to improve gripability.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective container 100 istypically rectangular in configuration, however the shape may comprise arectangular prism, a cube, a polygonal prism, or a cylinder as well. Theprotective container 100 comprises a base portion 102, a gasket 124, anda lid portion 126. The base portion 102 comprises a perimeter sidewall108 and a bottom component 114. The perimeter sidewall 108 is typicallyfour perimeter sidewalls if the shape of the protective container 100 isrectangular, however, it may be a single sidewall if the shape iscircular or oval.

The perimeter sidewall 108 and the bottom component 114 are shaped as todelineate an interior cavity 116 defined as an interior 104 of the baseportion 102. The interior cavity 116 typically protects betweenapproximately 1,700 to 15,000 square inches of space, however thedimensions may be smaller or larger as desired. Preferably, theprotective container 100 is dimensioned so that it may fit in a bottomof a standard military duffle bag or approximately between ¼ and ½ of astandard suitcase as illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4C. The preferable layout of the interior cavity 116, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, permitstorage of fragile cargo such as electronics, liquids, medications,hats, and the like. Once the lid portion 126 is engaged with the baseportion 102, the interior cavity 166 is essentially watertight and crushproof.

Returning to FIGS. 1-2, the base portion 102 further comprises aplurality of rounded corners 112. Preferably, all corners and edges ofthe protective container 100 are rounded so as to preclude any sharpedges. This is desirable as it protects an inner lining of any suitcaseor duffle bag in which the protective container 100 is placed fromtearing, puncture, or other damage caused by a sharp edge or corner,

The base portion 102 further comprises a circumferential lip 118extending out of the perimeter sidewall 108. The circumferential lip 118is thinner than the rest of the perimeter sidewall 108 forming a shelfor ledge. The lid portion 126 is designed to engage and snuggly fit thecircumferential lip 118 as discussed infra. The base portion 102 furthercomprises an indentation 122 along a portion of the perimeter sidewall.The indentation 122 is typically large enough so that a user may inserta digit such as a finger or thumb to pry the lid portion 126 off of thebase portion 102 and open the protective container 100. The indentation122 does not fully penetrate the perimeter sidewall 108 so theprotective container 100 is still waterproof when in the closedposition.

The circumferential lip 118 may comprise a groove 120 cut or molded intoa circumference of the circumferential lip 118. The groove 122 would bedeep enough to at least partially receive the gasket 124 thereby holdingthe gasket 124 in place when the lid portion 124 engaged the baseportion 102. The gasket 124 encircles the circumferential lip 118 andmay be partially seated in the groove 120. The gasket 124 is typically arubber ring gasket, although it may be constructed from any similarmaterial that permits a substantially water tight seal.

The lid portion 126 comprises a lid sidewall 128 and a roof component134. The lid portion 126 is of a similar configuration as the baseportion 102, but shallower in height. For example, the base portion maybe approximately between six and nine inches in height while thecorresponding lid portion 126 would be approximately between one and twoinches in height. The lid portion 126 typically comprises four lidsidewalls to match the four base sidewalls with similarly roundedcorners as discussed supra. The lid portion 126 is designed to mate withthe circumferential lip 118 of the base portion 102 so as to completelyenclose the interior cavity 116. The lid sidewall 128 may optionallycomprise a lid groove 132 around a perimeter rim 130 of an insidesurface of the lid sidewall 128. The lid groove 132 would be would bedeep enough to at least partially receive the gasket 124 thereby holdingthe gasket 124 in place when the lid portion 124 was put in place.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the lid portion 126 engages the gasket 124when mated with the circumferential lip 118. The lid sidewall 128compresses the gasket into either the groove 120 around thecircumferential lip 118, or into the lid groove 132 in the lid sidewall128. In either case, the gasket 124 is compressed into a groove allowingthe gasket 124 to flatten and create an essentially watertight sealbetween the base portion 102 and the lid portion 124, thereby protectingany contents placed in the interior cavity 116.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus,while the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof isshown in the drawings and has been described above in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary,the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to beconstrued as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joinedtogether, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of rangesof values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value isincorporated into the specification as if it were individually recitedherein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitableorder unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to betterilluminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitationon the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language inthe specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimedelement as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variationsof those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventorexpects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, andthe inventor intends for the invention to be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes allmodifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in theclaims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, anycombination of the above-described elements in all possible variationsthereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicatedherein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

What is claimed is:
 1. A compression resistant protective containercomprising: a base portion comprising: a perimeter sidewall and a bottomcomponent that define an interior cavity and a plurality of corners,wherein all corners are rounded so that there are no sharp edges; and acircumferential lip extending from the perimeter sidewall; and a gasketsurrounding the circumferential lip; and a lid portion for engaging thegasket and the circumferential lip to substantially enclose the interiorcavity.
 2. The protective container of claim 1, wherein the protectivecontainer is configured in at least one of the following shapes: arectangular prism, a cube, a polygonal prism, or a cylinder.
 3. Theprotective container of claim 2, wherein the base portion and the lidportion are manufactured from whipped plastic with a rubberized outersurface.
 4. The protective container of claim 3, wherein the gasket is arubber ring gasket.
 5. The protective container of claim 4, wherein theinterior cavity comprises between approximately 1700 and 15000 cubicinches of space.
 6. The protective container of claim 5, wherein theperimeter sidewall comprises an indentation along a portion of theperimeter sidewall for the insertion of a digit.
 7. A compressionresistant water tight protective container for use in a soft-sidedluggage comprising: a base portion comprising: a perimeter sidewall anda bottom component that define an interior cavity, wherein the perimetersidewall comprises an indentation along a portion of the perimetersidewall for the insertion of a digit; and a circumferential lipextending from the perimeter sidewall; and a gasket surrounding thecircumferential lip; and a lid portion for engaging the gasket and thecircumferential lip to substantially enclose the interior cavity.
 8. Theprotective container of claim 7, wherein the protective container isconfigured to fit within a bottom of a standard military duffle bag. 9.The protective container of claim 7, wherein the base portion comprisesa plurality of rounded corners.
 10. The protective container of claim 9,wherein the lid portion comprises a lid sidewall and a roof component.11. The protective container of claim 10, wherein the lid portioncomprises a plurality of rounded corners that correspond to theplurality of rounded corners of the base portion.
 12. The protectivecontainer of claim 7, wherein the lid sidewall compresses the gasket sothat a substantially watertight seal is achieved when the lid portionengages the gasket and the circumferential lip.
 13. The protectivecontainer of claim 12, wherein the protective container is manufacturedfrom a material that floats in water.
 14. A compression resistant watertight protective container for protecting luggage in an aqueousenvironment comprising: a base portion comprising: four perimetersidewalls and a bottom component that define an interior cavity, whereinall corners are rounded so that there are no sharp edges, and theperimeter sidewall comprises an indentation along a portion of theperimeter sidewall for the insertion of a digit; and a circumferentiallip extending from the perimeter sidewall; and a gasket surrounding thecircumferential lip; and a lid portion for engaging the gasket and thecircumferential lip to substantially enclose the interior cavity andcreate a watertight seal.
 15. The protective container of claim 14,wherein the lid portion comprises four lid sidewalls and a roofcomponent.
 16. The protective container of claim 15, wherein thecircumferential lip comprises a groove for at least partially receivingthe gasket.
 17. The protective container of claim 16, wherein the lidsidewall compresses the gasket into the groove so that a substantiallywatertight seal is achieved when the lid portion engages the gasket andthe circumferential lip.
 18. The protective container of claim 15,wherein the four lid sidewalls comprise a groove located along an innercircumference of the four lid sidewalls for at least partially receivingthe gasket.
 19. The protective container of claim 18, wherein the baseportion and the lid portion are manufactured of whipped plastic.
 20. Theprotective container of claim 19, wherein the protective container is ahat box.